I had heard of braciole (pronounced bra’zhul) before but never really knew how to make it. Truth be told, I’m a huge fan of Everybody Loves Raymond and The Sopranos and there are endless Italian dishes on both of those shows that make me both hungry and curious.

Braciole is one of them. It’s been featured on both of those shows and I could never figure out exactly what it was.

It’s thin, stuffed steak that is rolled. At least, that’s the American version of this Italian treat.

Braciole is actually the plural form of braciola. See, you don’t just eat one of them. So why not just always use the plural form??? (See the braciole Wikipedia entry here.)

I did eventually ask my Italian-cuisine-expert-neighbor Eddie about it one day. And when his mother came to visit they made some and brought it over. It was to-die-for.

It’s good to have good neighbors.

Here’s a great recipe for it so you can try it on your own. Let me know what you think!!!

Braciole (Rolled stuffed steak) – from Chef Carmen Mazzola of A Mediterranean Cooking Experience at Relais Oasi Olimpia.  

Ingredients

• 2 thin slices of steak
• approx. ½ parsley
• 1 clove of garlic
• approx. ½ pine-nuts
• approx. ½ raisins
• a teaspoon of grated parmesan
• 1 can puréed tomato
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• ¾ cup of white wine
• salt & pepper

Preparation

Roll or pound the steak until thin.

Finely chop the parsley and garlic, pine-nuts and raisins, and mix with the grated parmesan, salt and pepper.

Spread on the steak, then roll the steak and fix in place with some toothpicks or butcher’s string.

Brown the rolled meat in a saucepan with extra-virgin olive oil and a chopped onion. Then add white wine and after 5 minutes the tomato purée. Cook over a very low heat for about an hour.

If you prefer, you can omit the raisins and pine-nuts.

Recipe and photo courtesy of theinternationalkitchen.com.

Doesn’t that name just SOUND intriguing?

And delectable.

My mouth is watering just thinking of the flavor of a juicy prime rib with a salt crust. Hoo boy!

Try this one this weekend and let me know how it tastes! (As if I can’t already imagine it. . . flavorful, tender, yummy . . . )

Salt Crust Prime Rib
(serves six to eight)
1 5 lb. Prime Rib Roast
6 Cups Kosher Salt
3 Egg Whites
1 Cup chopped fresh herbs (parsley, chives, thyme etc.)
Fresh Ground Pepper

Mix the Salt and egg whites in a large bowl to create a stiff, snow-like consistency. Cover the roast with pepper and the herbs. Place one third of the salt in a pan and place the roast on top. Pack the rest of the salt around the roast until it is completely covered and encased tightly. Cook in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes per pound of roast or until a thermometer reads 130 degrees. Remove from the oven and let stand 30 minutes before slicing. Remove the salt crust at the table with a hammer for a dramatic flair.

How in the heck did it get to be October? What is the deal with that?

So, now that we’re officially in fall, the weather will start to get a little crisper. I watched a bit of the White Sox game in Chicago last night and all the fans were wearing jackets.

Cold weather is upon us, people. We might as well accept it.

But some really great things come along with that cool weather. For instance, I love bulky sweaters that keep me toasty and I love hearty foods that keep my insides warm.

So in honor of nippy nights and brisk days, I give you this recipe for Steaky Casserole Pie. It’s sure to keep you and yours warm through the night!

Steaky Casserole Pie

Ingredients

1 large onion, sliced
1/3 cup shortening
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1-1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
1-1/2 pounds boneless round steak, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cups boiling water
1-1/2 cups diced peeled potatoes
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup frozen peas
Pie pastry (9 to 10 inches)

Directions
In a Dutch oven, lightly brown onion in shortening. Meanwhile, combine flour, salt, pepper, ginger and allspice in a plastic bag.
Place meat cubes in the bag, a few pieces at a time, and shake well to coat. Remove onion and set aside. Brown beef on all sides. Add water; cover and simmer for 1 hour or until meat is tender, stirring occasionally.
Add potatoes, carrots and reserved onions; cover and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in peas and continue cooking until all vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Spoon meat mixture into a 9-in. square baking pan.
Roll pastry out to a 10-in. square; place over meat mixture and seal edges to pan. Cut several small steam vents in crust.
Bake at 450° for 25-30 minutes or until pastry is browned.

Recipe and photo courtesy of grouprecipes.com.